1927 60 cent Air Mail stamp hammers for $45,000

A Newfoundland 1927 60 cent black "Air Mail/De Pinedo/1927" overprint stamp made $45,000 at Spink New York on January 30.

It was the headline lot of the Drs. Joanne and Edward Dauer Collection of British North America, which consists of a range of rare Canadian and North American stamps dating back to the colonial era.

This early example of an air mail stamp was issued in 1927

The stamp is among the rarest "Canadian" and air post stamps, with this example being one of the finest known.

Only 300 of the stamps were ever printed, with around 33 mint examples known to have made it through to the present day.

The overprint denotes that the stamps were intended for letters to be flown by Francesco de Pinedo, the famed Italian aviator.

It features wide margins with a clean, well-centred impression and despite some light hinging is in extremely fine condition.

A Canada 1857 6d made $42,500.

The 1857 6d is rare in mint condition

The reddish-purple stamp has been printed on soft woven paper and is in exceptional condition, with the auction house describing it as "the first sound mint example of this rarity that we have had the pleasure of offering in our auctions".

It features large margins and a clear impression, and is printed on fresh, clean paper.

A Canada 1859 10c stamp also performed well, realising $40,000.

It features margins touching at the top, but in all other respects is one of the finest known examples of an issue that is near impossible to find in mint condition.